


His Sweet Revenge

by wlw1992



Category: Inspired by - Fandom, Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Graphic Description, Hag, Inspired by The Witcher, M/M, M/M Sex, Mage, Pyromancy, Smut, Spirit Animals, Violence, forest, monster hunter - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:08:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23732119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wlw1992/pseuds/wlw1992
Summary: Danil is a bit of a loner at the start of the story but as you will see this will quickly change, he has magical abilities but is not a mage he is a mutant they call a monster hunter, his equipment and heightened abilities have been designed to make him a honed killing machine and too start off he feels that is what he his. Manis is a cheeky and fun loving ecokinetic who also has a limited ability of foresight. A very fashionable individual he values the people around him immensely. Bandar is the head woodsman of Anderheim and the natural leader of the village.Anderheim is a loogging community based in the forest near the regional capital of Rengarod, it has incredibly old fashioned and some would say archaic views on a great many views. Danil has come to Anderheim to rid them of a hag that has recently cut off a smaller logging camp nearby and slaughtered a group of the villagers children. Little did he know this hunt would change his life forever and show him a part of himself he thought long dead.
Relationships: Danil (OMC)/Manis(OMC)
Kudos: 1





	His Sweet Revenge

**Author's Note:**

> So this short story is my first attempt at writing fiction and it is inspired by my favourite fantasy world from the Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski. The world is of my own creation as I love description and world building but the concept is inspired by Sapkowski. It follows the story of Danil a monster hunter and this is possibly the first of a few if people enjoy them. I really loved writing this and am very new to this so comments and constructive criticism is really appreciated. If there are monsters people would like Danil to fight then please let me know and I will see if I can add them to this world.

Danil could smell him. The scent of wood and spice along with his pheromones was intoxicating. This scent was a comfort, a joy, a curse. Danil reminisced over the first time he had caught the scent of Manis… who could forget?   
Danil was in the forests outside Anderheim on the hunt for a hag that had eviscerated several children who played amongst the fragrant oak and dewy undergrowth. The community of Anderheim had pooled their coin to pay specifically for the skills of Danil. They had payed for his bow and axes, his senses, skills and experience. Their children had brought life to this small village. Now a scent of death hung over this small logging community to the west of Rengarod. Danil had arrived two days before the hunt to gather information, supplies, and of course payment. The parents had been too afraid to lead him to the spot at which parts of their little ones had been found. It was Bandar, the head woodsman and de facto leader of the village that had taken him. In a small clearing about ten minutes from the village blood stained the trees and wisps of hair clung to bark as if a piece of the children clung to this place of lost joy. Bandar told Danil of the screams which had cut through the oak trees like a finely sharpened blade. The families had hurried to the clearing but all that remained was carnage, blood, hair, lumps of flesh and clothing. They had heard the tell-tale cackle of a hag. Having seen the site of the slaughter Danil knew the conclusion of hag was correct.   
The hunt was now afoot, Danil sharpened both his steel and silver throwing axes and restrung his longbow ensuring the wolfsbane root interlace of the string was still intact. He did not want to leave anything to chance. Hags were aggressive, seductive and persuasive. He would face it alone and would be prepared to fight any man it had seduced. He took some of the clothing from the families of the deceased children. He would use clothing to lure the hag with scent to a battleground of his choice.   
Danil had come to Anderheim at the perfect time. The moon was full, this made hags more powerful but often complacent and even cocky. He knew he would have to use the aggression of the hag against her. This wasn’t his first hag and would likely not be his last. He knew their habits and routines; he was used to their mannerisms and their temptations. This was something all hunters had to become attuned to especially with humanoid monsters. He knew they often seduced bands of sex starved men to serve them in return for “promises”. Danil was prepared to kill them, hence the preparation of his steel; “save the many over the few” he told himself. It eased the inevitable guilt he felt at ending misguided but innocent lives. The smell too was something he was prepared for, intoxicating but also stomach churning, a mixture of the bliss of the forest with the wreak of death.   
The night before his hunt there had been a festival in the village. Danil had attended to be polite, had a single glass of root vegetable-based vodka to appear festive and had danced with a large busted young lady despite women holding no sensual or carnal appeal to him at all. Danil had danced and then spoken with the lady that the little ones that remained called Ruby. Was this because of her red hair or her fiery opinions. She had chastised Danil for taking payment and being willing to kill the seduced men. He paid little attention to the content of her verbal flogging but had been caught off guard by the tone of her voice. The fire she gave off helped him prepare for the battle to come, like a war cry or chant. After kissing her on the cheek and reassuring her that he would succeed with as little blood as possible he left to sleep in the haybarn by the sawmill. He was a pariah, people were happy to see him for the services he provided but nothing else, they feared the weapons and methods but also the man.   
The next morning, the day of the hunt, Danil awoke, ate a simple but satisfying porridge and a weak but very drinkable ale. Dunking his long jet-black hair into the animal trough that had been brought for him to bathe, he cleared his emerald green eyes of the lingering long sleep which always blessed him before a hunt. For some unknown reason he always slept well before he took life. He dressed in his black leather cuirass over his cloth tunic and trousers. He then threw on his long boots, tossed his woad blue woollen cloak over his shoulder and picked up his deadly equipment roll and made for the edge of the forest.   
As he passed each house parents dragged their children into the houses and the elderly bowed their heads or spat as he walked past. At the edge of the village was the house of Bandar; the previous evening over the root vodka Bandar had offered his house as a base for the potentially long hunt. Danil had left his roll, minus his four axes, longbow and quiver along with steel and silver tipped arrows, even when he slept Danil kept his knife on his hip so that was of no concern. Danil shook Bandar’s hand and smiled at him as Bandar invoked the local deity to bless the duel to come. Bandar felt like Danil’s only ally in the settlement. People often did not like monster hunters, but something here was different. Maybe they could sense his sexual distaste for the women of the village (little did they know this was not isolated to this village). Widely across the continent homosexual relationships were widely accepted and in some religious orders and cults encouraged. However, in these smaller settlements old views and opinions often ruled. This was changing but not in the majority view. Little did Danil know this was correct. Little did he know that this would lead to blood, screams and death.  
As he set out from the village, he marked trees by rubbing his arm across them. Monster hunters have a heightened sense of smell and are particularly keen to pheromones. Hence, he could track his own scent if he was injured or became lost in the thick dark pine forest. He cut open his hand too and wrapped one of the children’s rags around it. The scent of his blood mingled with the familiar scent of her kill would draw the hag and cause her to be bold. Often hags could sense the blood of monster hunters and took it as a challenge. Many monsters did during the full moon. As the deep claret red soaked the cloth like an incoming tide Danil focussed on the strong scent of the pine and the darkness that the trees had created, he focussed on the scent of the moss and the unsurprising missing scents of the native animals that had long since left the area. Monster hunters had to do this to acclimatise their senses so that their acute sight, hearing and sense of smell could be used to their full potential. They would be needed in the fight to come.   
Danil had now reached the clearing Bandar had brought him to and he could set his trap there. He wiped the tree trunks with the bloodied rag leaving a brown/red smear as he darted from tree to tree, the sun was at its height, not much time considering what he had to do and the rest he would need before fighting the monster. Danil being a creature of habit showed once again. He always had his methods for each creature in this world, even humans. He could adapt his methods to time and place but worked best when he had his formulae. In the past he had learned from the scars that hatched his back and the long scar from his right clavicle to his nipple. Costly mistakes, but mistakes to learn from. As he smeared the last tree, he dumped the rest of the children’s clothing and toys into the middle of the clearing. From there he used a large branch to draw a gully around these items with lost owners. “for the lost owners” he chanted as his hair swished in a similar pattern to the circle. Now he needed to complete his plans. He had taken several ceramic jars from the house of the head woodsman. They were decorated with zig-zag lines like the form of an explosion. This gave a less than subtle hint as to their contents. Danil buried them at the roots of the older more brittle trees as when struck with an arrow the spark that would be created as the steel broke the clay combined with the old dead bark would create a form of biological shrapnel that would wound any humans in its path. He was expecting a great many on this full moon. From here he went to meditate up against aa strong tree that would ground him and allow him to block out the world. Clearing his mind to refresh for the fight to come. He did this for 3 hours as he always did (unless some screeching harpy or wreaking river troll got the better of him).   
Swiftly his nose twitched. Danil’s emerald green eyes shone as they opened. He knew he had been disturbed. He could feel residual tension in every sinew and muscle fibre of his considerable frame. He caught that scent. The pheromones first, as always when he located any trail; then came the wood and spice. This was the scent that would lead him to joy, ecstasy and blood. As he caught the scent he had spun and stood in a fluid motion. He threw one of his steel axes at the tree on the far side of the clearing. It struck in the blood patch that he had left a few hours before. But he noticed that it was not only his blood now on the tree, another’s had overlapped with his. He knew this was human blood, but its origin remained hidden. This was the same with each tree he had marked. This was some sort of additional magic he sensed. He knew this was a human from the pheromones and the scent of the overlapping blood. But as with his own blood he could smell something exceptional in the blood of the other individual. This was an ecokenetic, this person controlled all the forest and nature around Danil. He knew that if he moved too quickly without certainty or was sloppy in any way. he had to move as water and wind, he had to move as if he were dancing, no mistakes, no fumbles. As Danil leapt from the tree and spun around the next he was stopped dead by a person, stood calmly behind the third tree in the clearing. From that precise moment Danil was enthralled.   
The scent matched the man stood in front of him, Auburn hair, ice blue-grey eyes, a slim and tall man impeccably dressed in a long red robe that complimented his hair with a sky-blue trim that complimented his eyes. This was a man of refinement and taste… however Danil saw all this person in his deep eyes. He also saw himself, not as a reflection but entwinned in his eyes, as though the dance he had performed to get to this man had not been a solo but a duet in crossing paths. Danil knew that he would now be inextricably tied to Manis but felt glad of it. This was out of his nature as monster hunters were natural loners after the trials, they faced to become the skilled killers they were. Danil felt a strange comfort in this unknown, he knew he wanted this chapter of his epic to be long and enduring, no matter the turns it took.   
Before Manis had the chance to introduce himself Danil snapped “what are you doing here forest shaper!” he did not mean to be aggressive, but he was in the middle of a hunt, and a dangerous one at that. He knew he did not want Manis in the way for his own safety. “I am Manis and I am here because I am meant to be here”. The mysticism swirled in his eyes and enchanted the monster hunter. Danil instantly trusted Manis, he did not know why as he was a naturally distrustful man. The green-eyed killer nodded and signalled to Manis where he had laid traps and indicated to the pile of clothes. He knew the ecokinetic would understand his plan, a single nod and a cheeky wink told Danil that the signal was understood. He also caught a glimpse of the true person that this mage was. A man of knowledge but also a man who liked to smile and make others around him do the same. Danil had caught his smile as Danil had winked at him as to not give too much of himself away. It was too late, he already had.  
A cackle erupted and echoed through the forest. At this Danil shoved Manis to the side of the tree. Manis did not fall but half stumbled his robes flowing as he recovered and sat behind the tree cross legged making swirling motions with his hands, his trickery would be of good use in the battle to come. Danil knocked his bow with one of his exceptionally sharp steel tipped arrows finding it effortlessly in the quiver. He took aim at the first of his surprises by the trees as the first burly masculine battle cries emerged from the blackness of the pines. The air now filled with the scent of sweat, sex and pine sap. These men had worked at one of the logging outposts deep in the forest. As they emerged in their ragged bloodstained clothes with their rusty lumber tools Danil loosed his arrow. As the steel broke the ceramic and the blaze was lit men screamed, blood splattered the trees and flesh hung from branches. These men must have truly been ensnared. Danil had downed five of the with a single bomb, they were totally unaware of their surroundings. At this point another thirty men appeared from the trees “Fucks sake!” exclaimed Danil. Sometimes the jolt of a non-lethal explosion was enough to snap a man out of the trance of a hag. “This bitch is strong” thought Danil as he knocked and loosed another arrow downing another three. It was at this point that he realised that the trees had not been touched at all by the explosions, as though they were transparent. Then he thought of Manis. “He must be protecting the forest whilst I protect him”. At this point Danil knew he was running out of time to stop these men before steel and steel would clash. He snapped his fingers to slow time for a moment and downed another three in quick succession after which he had to roll his right shoulder to avoid a small hatchet thrown in his direction by these enthralled men. He placed his bow next to Manis against the tree and pulled his exquisite steel axes from his back and rolled them in his hands to limber up and prepare for the dance. His movement was balletic as he ran towards a group of five, he dodged more rusty missiles and fists as his right axe cleft the skull of a balding man with ease. As the brain matter of this individual hit the floor the left axe was buried in the clavicle of a youthful slobbering individual that came lumbering at Danil with a hammer. Upon turning in motion that made him look like a dancer about to reach the peak of his performance he knew he was behind the men so threw both of his axes at the respective backs of two individuals killing them instantly. The dull thud of them hitting the forest floor was the last sound they would make. Danil then drew his long intricate knife from its scabbard, the opal in the pommel glimmered as it caught a lone ray of light that peaked through in the darkness. At this point the largest man of the five was all that remained as the others closed in. Danil grabbed the man’s arm and swung over his shoulders showing catlike prowess wrapping himself around this giant well-muscled frame. With this move Danil plunged his dagger into the man’s throat. There was a whimper where the man attempted to scream but all that came was gargled blood. This dark red river ran from the man’s throat as Danil removed the knife and stood firmly as the man fell. The red lifeforce of this man glistened as the opal had in oddly discovered light.   
Seventeen men now lay dead as Danil saw that he was being surrounded, he had retrieved his axes and used a flick of the finger to freeze and shatter another four men. Manis was still safe by the tree he thought, surely this mage will be able to deal with a few of these wretches Danil thought as he prepared for the final dance of this bloodbath. Manis had sat unflinching the whole time, seemingly there to protect the forest. Oh, how wrong Danil was about him. As the men closed in Danil saw Manis pull a cheeky half smile and raise his eyebrows. There was a flash of celestial green and black light as screams erupted and the entranced men clawed at their skin. Danil saw the needles from the pine trees darting around him, he also felt a flecking sensation across his skin. The monster hunter saw these men lose their skin and fall to the ground. In surprise he turned to check that the beautiful skin of Manis was not being so afflicted. What he saw caused him to mimic the half smile of the ecokinetic. Manis was now stood with his ice blue eyes flashing and darting as if conducting this orchestra of death. As the last man fell and the screams turned to moans Manis dropped this enchantment, the pine needles on the trees were clear of blood and the plants themselves appeared totally untouched. Pacing through the flesh, cries and death the man in flawless robes winked at Danil and proclaimed, “see exactly where I need to be”. He proceeded to grab the hunter and dance with him mockingly through the soaked forest floor. Danil knew this was childish but oddly enjoyed it, at the exact point the dance had to end it did; they both knew they had a job to do. Manis had rested his head on Danil’s shoulder, he raised his head and met Danil’s emerald green eyes with is “What’s the plan then monster hunter?”. Danil slowly let go of Manis and proclaimed, “we have a hag to kill forest trickster”. Danil deduced from the origin of the men that the hag would be coming from the lumber camp, she knew they were there so would not come to them having seen the destruction they wrought. Danil explained all of this to Manis in frustration that his efforts in preparation had gone to waste, in part at least.  
As Danil gathered the unexploded bombs Manis gathered some fern sprigs and folded them into a small pouch; “just in case” remarked Manis. As the two set off towards the woodcutter’s camp Manis questioned Danil about the scars that he had obtained and the monsters that he had crossed paths with. It was after the third scar, inflicted by a nymph in Anstebor lake that Danil turned to Manis and asked about his inquisitive nature. “your scars are telling me about the chapters of your life. They are windows into your past… and your future”. “oh yeah? What do you mean by that auburn-haired surprise?” Danil queried. “I learn about your past to see where I fit into your future” declared Manis, “I knew I would be a part as soon as I saw your eyes, I just need to understand how” he smirked. “Well I knew you would spin into the fabric of my story as soon as I caught your scent, I also knew that this was what I wanted”. The sexual tension had begun to build. This would doom a great many but be a wonderful thing for this mage and hunter. The world had to change and these two would, in some small way, make that happen. Danil and Manis stopped and locked eyes but shook heads simultaneously as to shake themselves out of their lovestruck delirium and to prepare them for the fight ahead. They had formed a plan that Danil would prowl through the camp and Manis would take overwatch in a tree.   
Manis climbed the largest pine that he could find easily traversing the branches. It was almost as if the tree were helping him, Danil knew the branches probably were launching this intoxicating man higher in order to protect him. Natural areas did not like hags as they often caused wider deforestation than humans through their aggression and humans generally took small branches as they were more supple or dead wood as it would burn more easily, their taking of live healthy trees was done in moderation and respect. The hag would do so without discrimination and with much pain. Danil crouched as Manis reached the top of the tree, the eyes of the ecokinetic glowed green as he enhanced his vision to cut through the canopy. Danil knew that it would just be the hag, they set up their lair alone and invited male company when desired, so he drew his silver axes. He crept through the prematurely derelict storage buildings, the occasional blood smear or trail and the odd scent of the dead drew him to a near complete lumber shed near the sawmill. The only indication of damage to this building was that the door that was needed to keep the lumber dry was missing. Danil pulled a quicksilver bomb from his belt and signalled to Manis that he had found his prey. With this he threw the bomb into the centre of the shed and burst in as it exploded. He burst into the shed axes glistening in the light leaking from a small hole in the roof not visible from the outside. “Shit” proclaimed Danil as he knew this hag had jumped through the roof at hearing the bomb come off the belt. At that point he heard a creak and threw a rune onto the floor just in time to create a barrier as the roof of the shed came crashing down on top of him. He leapt from the dust furled his axes and readied for a fight. Manis had seen this his eyes flashing an even brighter green as he caught the main debris from the collapsing shed, he longed to descend and rip the bitches head off but he knew his job and his place in the fight. As Danil recovered a shriek cut the air as the hag and her talons came rushing at Danil, he deflected her claws with his left axe cutting off one of her ears with his right. He had just pissed her off, this was bad. She at once spun and contorted to dig her teeth into his left leg! Danil screamed in pain as Manis dropped a tree on the monster to have her release him. She darted away as Manis bombarded her path with pine needles as he had with the woodsmen. This was no silver but did slow her, as Danil recovered he threw an axe and hit her in the shoulder. She shrieked as Danil spun and threw the other removing her right arm entirely. The next shriek cut through Manis and Danil as she pinned the hunter to the forest floor. He groaned as she pierced his leather armour and shoulder, he bit a chunk out of the neck of the hag as Manis leapt on her back and struck her in the spine with one of the glimmering silver axes. The scream was once again immense, but she let the pressure off Danil, and Manis hoisted the near corpse from him, lifted him up and handed him the other axe he had recovered. They approached the dying creature that was crawling away from them. Manis pulled the silver out of the hags back the cracking of her ribs and vertebrae being all the more acute as her screams lifted. Manis kicked her on to her front and they cleft the axes simultaneously into her chest shattering her sternum and vitally piercing her heart, the screaming dying away as Danil passed out.

…

He awoke with Manis and Bandar looking over him with warm smiles of relief on their faces. Danil groaned as he attempted to hoist himself up. The firm but kind hand of Bandar pushed him back as Manis looked on in concern, his eyes betraying the depth of his emotion. “You need to rest hunter” smiled Bandar warmly as he pulled the blanket over him with the warm, firm smothering nature of a concerned father. He then regaled Danil with the tale of the villagers hearing the shrieks, recognising them as death. They rushed steel weapons and those improvised from odds and ends through to the lumber camp where they found Manis holding Danil’s blood in place with an enchantment. Bandar had hoisted Danil onto the shoulders of the village juggernaut, a man known as Cleaver. A misnomer as he had been very gentle with Danil placing him gently on a bed in Bandars house. Danil’s leg seared beyond all reckoning he winced and sweated as Manis waved his hands over the wounds. This magic alleviated the pain but only for a time. The hag had ground moss into her claws, this was no moss known to Manis so the recovery would take time. Any rip or further injury to the wounds would lead to permanent damage. Manis was attentive and caring beyond anything Danil had ever known, the shifter had known warm and loving people but never the romantic adoration he could feel through the magic of this forest manipulator. It was when the moon was high in the sky that Danil felt safest and happiest regardless of the pain. It was at night that Danil could hold Manis and show him the love and affection that Manis showed him through his healing and the spark he saw in his eyes. Bandar had looked at them knowingly when Danil had woken up and told him that Manis had been by his side all night through the convulsions, sweating and screaming. Bandar smiled and whispered “hunter, I have seen many types of love between many very different people. I have seen love that is weak and love that is strong. But I have never seen a love burn in such an individual way as yours with Manis. Keep him close, look after each other and most importantly love each other. You will keep one another safe and become stronger through the love you share”. At this Danil nodded knowingly and thanked the woodsman for his hospitality, care and friendship.   
It was that evening that Danil held Manis close to his chest and asked what he heard “the heart of a good and strong man” Manis replied honestly, “so you do not see the monstrosity but the man?” he questioned. “I see a strong man who should follow his heart”, at this Danil put his hand on Manis’ cheek and pulled him in for the first true kiss he had ever known. Sparks flew almost in the literal sense as they both felt their supernatural abilities flare. Their tongues danced a beautiful waltz as their spirit animals danced above them, the wolf of Danil and the fox of Manis. Cunning and strength, an ideal pairing. They made each other sparkle, shine and amplify. Manis gently sat up and moved on top of Danil massaging his strong frame, this touch did far more than soothe his pain, but it invigorated him, made him feel a way he never truly had before. Manis rocked his hips over Danil’s cock, and he felt the rush of blood and he felt alive again. Danil howled and gently raised himself to kiss Manis’ perfect chest, he traced his fingers over the perfectly slender torso kissing as he danced over this perfect man in front of him. Manis started to move his hands down towards Danil’s hips taking his hard penis in hand and then very gently into his mouth. He didn’t want to overexert the wolf and was everything Danil wanted, he was gentle yet slightly animalistic biting his thighs and nipples as the forest mage discovered the hunter’s body. Danil’s inner wolf now had the strength and confidence to flip over so that he was on top of Manis, he kissed and bit the foxes perfect lightly freckled shoulders, their lips caressed as Danil felt Manis’ this fiery hair. He kissed every inch of his saviour’s body felling more and more electrified as he did. Their eyes shone brightly as they looked into one anthers soul, Danil entering Manis, gently and delicately, he did not want to hurt this beautiful fox no matter how much he wanted him. Manis’ eyes flared as he gently rocked Danil onto his back and gyrated his hips as the wolf whimpered in a feral pleasure. He pulled himself up to once more lock in a dance with this cunning, caring and beautiful fox. This kiss marked the end of the first time they would make love, both groaning in pleasure as Manis collapsed gently into Danil’s arms. “So this is where you are in my story” smiled Danil as he twirled a lock of the mage’s hair between his fingers, “Again I knew I’d be part of the story” smirked Manis as he kissed the scar just above Danil’s nipple. “the fox and the wolf against the world they both thought as they fell asleep in each other’s arms, their spirit animals still dancing above them.  
Early that morning before the sun had risen both the hunter and the mage were woken from their blissful slumber by a faint glow and a rising noise moving towards the house. They both got up and dressed, Danil fastening his belt carefully as Bandar burst into the room. “They’re here for you” he said distraught, “they saw the sparks and an old fortune teller from the village, a wicked old bitch, told them what these illuminations meant. They’re here to burn you both in the square and probably kill me, I will create a diversion so you can escape, take my family with you and I will meet you in the old cutting camp we found you in earlier”. He threw a blade to Manis and handed a lit torch to Danil, they opened the door at the front of the house when a faint whistle and thud caught the ear of the whole party, an arrow had struck Bandar in the eye and he hit the floor screaming. His wife rushed forwards but the crowd was too close, a group of men grabbing her and taking her to an altar in the centre of the village, the keen night sight of the mage and the hunter could make out two pyres, they knew they would be doomed if they could not fight their way out. For Bandar they had to try to save his family, the man that had been their only friend now lay convulsing on the floor, blood trickling from his left eye socket. Manis drew his blade and prepared to attack but Danil could not keep up, his leg dragging behind him. Manis was now surrounded by a ring of orange light and glinting from rusty disused blades, he spun in a circle to create space and cleft the skull of n old man in two as he roared. His hair stood on end and his eyes shone a brilliant blue as tree roots impaled the feet of those immediately around him. Many fell to the floor screaming and trying to free themselves. Manis looked over at Danil and winked, as he turned Cleaver lumbered over to him and struck him over the head with a club. Danil roared, his eyes shifting from green to crimson. Baring his teeth which appeared to sharpen he threw a steel axe at Cleaver which hit him between the eyes killing him instantly the life visibly draining from his huge eyes as Danil scurried towards Manis tears in his eyes. He could not lose this amazing man, this trickster, this love. He struck down two young men that charged him, one with his knife cutting into the side of his neck the blood covering Danil’s face almost obscuring the colour of his eyes. The other had his intestines spilled, falling into them as he hit the floor crying to the all mother of the forest. “you have hurt her; she will not hear your screams” said Danil coldly she trampled the man’s entrails.   
A group of men had now reached Manis and had started to drag him away as Danil screamed tears rolling down his cheeks, he threw his other axe which hit one of the men between the shoulders as they moved the mage towards one of the pyres. Suddenly Danil felt a sharp piercing pain over his leg wound, he looked down and saw a long arrow shaft protruding from his leg, the claret red liquid warmly trickling down his leg. He fell and was immediately set upon by a group of the villagers, they knocked the wound causing Danil to roar deeper. They took him by the arms and lifted him, forcing his head in the direction of Manis and the pyres.   
The old fortune teller was now visible at the altar, she had a sheet of material in her hand, when Danil looked down he realised that this was not material but the skin of Bandar’s family. These monsters had skinned them alive, creating victory pelts from their kills dancing around these unlit pyres pouring molten animal fat over the sticks. Danil tried to lower his head in despair but his head was lifted back to the fortune teller who had now started to preach to the crowd that was lifting Manis on to the pyre. “these creatures not only displease the all mother, but they manipulate, trick and defy her will!” she cried as the crowd cried out in agreement shaking their tools and weapons. “this union of killer and deceiver makes their being all the more an insult to the one who bore us all!” the crowd getting more heated pelted rocks at Manis as a large man approached with a torch. The old one pointed to Danil and proclaimed “view what you claim to love being consumed by the fire of our mother!” she then pointe to Manis as the large man threw the torch into the base of the wooden death monument.   
Danil roared as his eyes flashing orange in unison with the movements the flames before him now took. The flame encircled Manis but did not touch him, it spun as if dancing a formation of protection. The villagers attempted to close in, but several were engulfed, turning to fire and falling as ash. The men holding Danil realised he was controlling the flames all too late as two sparks flew and hit the man either side of him in the chest knocking them back and engulfing them in flame, they burned in a deep red that was unnatural. Danil snarled as he got to his feet and made his way to the bloodthirsty old one at the altar, he retrieved his axes and knife as he limped forwards, cleaving a mans jaw and cutting off another leg in seemingly a single clean fluid motion. The flame moved in a similar movement killing another three villagers in a band of flame and screams. Danil now hunched on all fours sprinting at the old woman, the flame seemingly giving him strength, he leapt at her and bit her throat, he could taste her age and false wisdom in the metallic liquid that now filled his mouth. He tore her throat out spraying more of this liquid covering the remaining unstained fabric of his clothing. The remaining few villagers had moved away in panic but watched on as he whispered to her “false prophet, you are amongst wolves… and these are my woods, this is my sweet revenge, for Bandar, for Manis, for me” as he said this he plunged his knife to the hilt into her heart. A dark sense of pleasureful revenge drifted over the hunter as the villagers cowered. He stood up calmly and snapped his fingers immediately extinguishing the fire. He half smiled turned to the villagers and told them to leave but allow their old beliefs to remain so that they could die with the old mystic at the altar. They ran into the woods dropping their tools in fear for their lives.   
Danil now knew he could see to Manis without hinderance or risk to went to the pile of charcoal the mage was attached to and cut the binding holding him in place, gently cradling him as he reached the floor. There was a sparkle as the ice blue of the fox’s eyes became visible through the soot stained eyelids. Manis smiled weakly “I knew the wolf had more in him” he joked cheekily, “I saw magic in those eyes and knew you could save me”. “What can I say?” laughed Danil through tears, “pyromancy does have its uses”. “Are Bandar’s family safe?” queried Manis in a grave tone. Danil shook his head, tears of grief welling in his eyes. Manis kissed Danil and reassured him that their sacrifice was not in vain. Bandar tried t save them so they could help others together…that what they had to do. Manis carefully got to his feet and supported a weakened Danil get to his. “Your left leg will never properly heal after that” Manis said gently fishing through the wound for other splinters. “A weakened wolf should fight alone as to not endanger his fox” stated Danil in a downhearted tone looking at the floor. Manis put his hand on Danil’s cheek, lifted his head and reassured him “wolves hunt better in packs, and this cunning fox sees we have a lot of hunting to do and a lot of adventure to be had”. He kissed Danil on the cheek as they gathered the remains of Bandar and his family and placed them gently on their beds in the house. They stood at the entrance to the once happy home hand in hand. Manis told Danil to look into his eyes. As he did both sets of eyes shone and the house transformed into a vast pine stump. Manis smiled “now their resting place is marked by the forest and will always be respected as a space of love and friendship”, his last move was to carve a small fox and wolf into the stump. “This is so Bandar knows that we have our path and he and his family are safe”.   
Danil and Manis set off with what supplies they could find for Vendhæven to the north, there they could find work and get away from this wretched place. They knew word would get to those who hated who and what they were, they would be ready, the death pair of the woods would be known, as would his sweet revenge.


End file.
